Bklyn

Hi all: I am new here and was hoping to ask a few questions. Looks like a great group and I have a lot to learn.

I live just west of Boston and will be 64 in May. I just got my first Honda Accord. It is a 2016, black, the sport model with 803 miles on it and it is a manual transmission. Great fun. An amazing car that one can see was well thought out. I went back and fourth between the Accord and the Camry SE but the Accord just felt so much better. Pricing was $2,000 down and a lease for 39 months for $202.64 dollars per month. Also got a free extra key and first 2 oil changes/tire rotations.

Love some insights so these are my questions:

Synthetic or regular oil. (I might keep it and buy out the lease for $13,250.00) I synthetic better? Is the best regular oil better than a cheap synthetic or a blend?

I tend to baby my cars. **** at 3,000 RPM and drive 70 MPH. Is that necessary or can I have a bit of fun with this car. (Life is short) Responsible driving of course.

Any thoughts on electric starters? I can get one through the dealership for $440.00.

Thoughts on aftermarket sunroofs? I love sunroofs but the sport does not have one at any price.

My car has 19 inch tires. A bit of noise at times on northeast imperfect roads but not bad. After the tires wear out, are 18's better? Can one even go to 18's if desired?

Speaking of tires, is there a "best" tire for this car? My primary concern is for a smooth and quiet ride.

The car is rated at 35 mpg on the highway. Is that realistic at 70 MPH or so?

Someone mentioned Marvel Mystery Oil as an additive for the gas as well as the oil. Anyone ever heard it? My friend swears but it.

Is there any weak spot in the car? Anything I need to either baby or keep my eyes open for?

I hear that 150,000 miles is not unrealistic. Is that true?

I must tell you a story before I go. When I was 26 or 27, a girlfriend bought the Honda Civic in its second year in the United States. It was yellow and it looked like an insect and it was ugly but we drove it to NYC and it was amazing. People just starred at us. I was in love with that car and how it handled and never used any gas. I knew that car was going to change EVERYTHING. America gives the car industry to Japan and nothing is ever the same again.

So now I am an Accord guy. I used to be a Maxima guy. Had 3 of them with 6 speeds but the 3.5 liter engine was just too fast for the car. It was unmanageable at times where as the Accord is balanced in a way that feels right.

My thanks to you and this interesting group. I think I made the right choice in picking up this Accord.

hometheaterman

I prefer synthetic (if I was keeping the car at the end of the lease), but you'll be fine with either as long as you change it regularly. When it comes to preferred oil types if you ask 50 people, you'll get 50 different answers.
Have a bit of fun with it. It's a Honda. This doesn't mean beat the crap out of it, but if you break a new one having a little fun with it, there was something else wrong.
It's illegal for the dealer to install one of these for you if you do have a manual. That said, I'm sure you could find someone to do it, or do it yourself. I think they are a great idea on an automatic, but not so much on a manual. You have the leave it in neutral in a manual to avoid any issues. I don't trust leaving my car in neutral in case I'm on a hill and me e-brake fails. The other issue is if you're in a parking lot and forgot to leave it in neutral, you may very well bump someone else's car. IMO, they are just a bad idea all the way around on a manual.
I love a sunroof, but there are a lot of horror stories of aftermarket sunroofs leaking. I'm sure you can get one properly installed, but what if they don't do a great job? Do you really want problems for the rest of the life of the car? I haven't seen many body shops that can align panels well enough to suit me, I know I sure as hell wouldn't let any of them cut a hole in my roof. Not to mention, will the lease allow you to do this while it's being leased?On top of that, is it really worth the amount of money you'd pay for this for a sunroof? IMO it wouldn't be.

You can go to 18" tires if you change the wheels to 18" wheels. You'd probably get a little better ride and a little better acceleration from the lighter wheels.

Brands of tires are also like oil. Everyone has their opinion. Michelins generally ride very well, last a long time, and are quiet, but I've not been thrilled with their handling characteristics. (Other than that motorcycle tires.) They may fit your needs well though.

I've also had great luck with Toyo tires. They are my favorite and I've run probably 10 sets of them. They ride well, are quiet, last a long time, and handle very well in both dry and wet weather.

There are other brands that are decent, but those are probably the main two I'd look at. Stay away from cheap off brand tires.

No idea on this one since I haven't drive the 4 cylinder.

There is no real reason to use this in a new car imo.

Since I don't know the insides and out of the 4 cylinder models, I'll leave this for someone else to answer.

150,000 isn't unrealistic at all. I'd be very shocked if it didn't go much further than that with a few minor repairs as long as you properly maintain it.

GreatZero

Synthetic or regular oil. (I might keep it and buy out the lease for $13,250.00) I synthetic better? Is the best regular oil better than a cheap synthetic or a blend?

A:Synthetic oil is much better and last longer, and its also better for you engine in the long run. I prefer Mobil 1 synthetic oil, they are the best synthetic oil out there.

I tend to baby my cars. **** at 3,000 RPM and drive 70 MPH. Is that necessary or can I have a bit of fun with this car. (Life is short) Responsible driving of course.

A: Its Honda, of course you can have fun, but at the same time think about the car's limit, you do not want to mess up everything, know you limits.

Any thoughts on electric starters? I can get one through the dealership for $440.00.

A: I do not know much about electric starters, so I can't tell you.

Thoughts on aftermarket sunroofs? I love sunroofs but the sport does not have one at any price.

A: Sunroofs are great, but NEVER EVER buy aftermarket ones, I guarantee you that you will have a leak so soon you won't even believe it.

My car has 19 inch tires. A bit of noise at times on northeast imperfect roads but not bad. After the tires wear out, are 18's better? Can one even go to 18's if desired?

A: smaller tires doesn't always mean less noise.

Speaking of tires, is there a "best" tire for this car? My primary concern is for a smooth and quiet ride.

A: go for top brand tires like Michelin and continental, NEVER buy Chinese made tires. I have been using Michelin for a long time because they make good tires and they really do reduce road noise.

The car is rated at 35 mpg on the highway. Is that realistic at 70 MPH or so?

A: it all depends on you driving style, could be more or less, but since you like to have some fun with the car, it doesn't sound like it will be realistic to you. There is no exact answer for this.

Someone mentioned Marvel Mystery Oil as an additive for the gas as well as the oil. Anyone ever heard it? My friend swears but it.

A: to be honest with you I never heard of brand, but addcitves usually aren't necessary for new cars.

Is there any weak spot in the car? Anything I need to either baby or keep my eyes open for?

A: I have a 2010 accord, and there is no weak spot for my baby. just keep doing regular maintenance.

I hear that 150,000 miles is not unrealistic. Is that true?

A: its very common for Hondas to go over 150,000 miles, i seen Hondas that's over 200,000 miles and only had minor issues.

Its all about maintenance and how YOU take care of the car.